People in Business

Tuesday

Feb 5, 2013 at 1:12 PM

The Continuing Education Department at Davidson County Community College recently welcomed Jessica Gainey as back-to-work and human resource development specialist.

The Continuing Education Department at Davidson County Community College recently welcomed Jessica Gainey as back-to-work and human resource development specialist. Gainey is responsible for working with the student success office, as well as creating and distributing career readiness certificates and administrative duties related to the N.C. Back-to-Work Grant, a $514,066 grant that helps to enhance programs in advanced manufacturing, transportation and information technology to support training and retraining for the unemployed and underemployed in the region."I am thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful program, and I'm excited to be able to help provide services to students," Gainey says. "This ultimately assists members of our community in getting back to work."Gainey earned an associate's degree in general education from DCCC and is working toward a bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.Joe Morris has joined The LandTrust for Central North Carolina as the organization's development director.Morris began work at The Land Trust, the only nonprofit land trust serving 10 counties in the Lower Yadkin/Pee Dee watershed: Davidson, Rowan, Richmond, Anson, Montgomery, Stanly, Montgomery, Davie, Iredell and Cabarrus counties, on Friday. Previously Morris served as the planning director for the City of Salisbury since 2002 and was employed by the city since 1987. During his tenure with the planning department, Morris oversaw or was involved with several major community development initiatives, including the West End Transformation Plan, the Downtown Salisbury Master Plan, the Salisbury Land Development Ordinance and the Vision 2020 Comprehensive Plan. He is a native of Richmond County and has been an active volunteer with The LandTrust for many years."We are extremely excited to bring Joe onto our staff," says Jason Walser, executive director at The LandTrust. "Joe's planning background will help us bring strategic direction and initiative to our development and fundraising program, enabling us to broaden our fundraising efforts throughout our 10-county service region and emphasize long-term initiatives such as planned giving and major donor programs. Like many land trusts and nonprofits in the country, we are focusing on our long-term sustainability. During the interview process, Joe impressed us with his understanding of that need and his strategies for addressing it."Morris resides in Salisbury with his wife, Pam, and dogs Cooper, Sophie and Lilly. He is the father of two children: Seth Morris, a senior at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., and Sarah Morris, an event facility manager in Raleigh. An outdoor enthusiast and expert in urban forestry and horticulture, Morris brings a wealth of relative experience to his new role at The LandTrust. "I'm thrilled to start a new phase of my career in land conservation," Morris says. "This part of the central Piedmont has served as my home for my entire life. It's where I was born and grew up, where I raised my family and where I've spent my career. I'm excited to play a role in the permanent conservation of its most special natural places."

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